2005 Pontiac GRAND PRIX: complaints, problems and recalls

"CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE" HAS APPEARED AT LEAST 12 TIMES ON THE DRIVER'S MESSAGE CONSOLE THAT I HAVE DOCUMENTED. IT IS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY THE FAN BLOWER REPEATEDLY CUTTING IN AND OUT WHEN TURNED ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME THE FAN IS TURNED ON. HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED AT LAMBERT PONTIAC-BUICK IN CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, AND THEY STATED THEY RAN A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC AND COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. ALSO, ONE TIME WHILE ACCELERATING IT S…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10102883 at NHTSA ↗

2005 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT SEDAN VIN #[XXX] PURCHASED 12/16/2004. INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE STALLS/ LOSS OF POWER IN THE ENGINE. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT WILL SUDDENLY JUST LOSES POWER. YOU CONTINUE TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THEN THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY TAKE BACK OFF AT A GREAT SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY WITHOUT TRYING TO ACCELERATE AND ALSO WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR HAS LOST POWER WHILE TRYING TO MERGE IN TRAFFIC. THE CAR HAS LOST POWER WHILE TRYING TO CROSS HIGHWAYS. THE CAR HAS LOST POWER WHI…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10118501 at NHTSA ↗

ENGINE WOULD NOT START IN THE INITIAL TRY BUT WOULD START ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. FUEL PUMP WAS NOT PRODUCING THE NECESSARY PRESSURE. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED.

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10127447 at NHTSA ↗

DT: CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER 2004. HE NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS SHOOK WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WHICH CUT DOWN ON VISIBILITY. CONSUMER HAS HAD VEHICLE TO DEALER THREE TIMES, AND DEALER STATED THAT ALL THAT TYPE VEHICLES WERE THE SAME. CONSUMER WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE NOT ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER, WHERE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM, HE WAS SHOWN 10 OR SO OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE LIKE HIS AND THEY ALL HAD LOOSE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, BUT WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT …

Owner-reported narrative. 14 miles reported. Look up ODI 10128134 at NHTSA ↗

DT: WHEN THE CONSUMER FIRST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A BRAKE GRINDING NOISE. THE DEALER NOTED THERE WAS HEAT STRESS FRACTURES ON THE BRAKE ROTOR. THIS WAS A NEW VEHICLE. THEY REPLACED THE ROTORS. THE NEXT DAY, THE BRAKE NOISE RETURNED, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THERE WAS A REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE CALIPER WHICH MADE THE NOISE GO AWAY FOR ABOUT 7 DAYS BUT LATER RETURNED. TOOK BACK TO THE DEALER THIS MORNING 7-25, DEALER STATED THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS HAPPENING TO OTHER GM MODELS. …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129905 at NHTSA ↗

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2005 GRAND PRIX (GP), I VERY QUICKLY NOTICED THAT THE BAKES WERE RUBBING MAKING A LOUD NOISE WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKES IN A HURRY, WELL AS A RESULT TO THIS IT HAS NEARLY CAUSED ACCIDENTS,AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE PONTIAC DEALER, THEY TEST DROVE MY CAR AND SAID THEY WERE RUBBING AND MADE ME A APPOINTMENT TO RETURN, AND THAT'S WHEN THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG THAT THEY ALSO DROVE ANOTHER 2005 AND IT DID THE SAME SO BASICALLY THEY ALL DO THAT, I REALLY DO NOT THINK THIS IS SAFE AND IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTI…

Owner-reported narrative. 26,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10134016 at NHTSA ↗

ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2005 AT 7:30 PM I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES AN HOUR (IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE). I FELT A TIRE GOING FLAT. I PULLED OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY GOT OUT AN SAW THAT MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT. A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED, THE SPARE WAS PUT ON AND THE FLAT TIRE WAS PUT IN THE TRUNK. THE NEXT MORNING MY HUSBAND AND I INSPECTED THE FLAT TIRE AND SAW THAT THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED, AND THE STEEL BELT HAD PUNCTURED THE TIRE CAUSING THE FLAT. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE TIRE TO DISCOUNT TIRE FOR INSPECTION OF THE O…

Owner-reported narrative. 24,975 miles reported. Look up ODI 10136151 at NHTSA ↗

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEFROSTER DOES NOT COMPLETELY DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CAUSES THE WINDSHIELD TO FORM ICE AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO FREEZE. THE AREA THAT DOES NOT DEFROST IS APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF TO TWO INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM AND APPROXIMATELY 14-16 INCHES FROM THE ENDS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SEEN BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. IT WAS DETERMINED THIS IS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED THEREFORE, NO REMEDY WAS AVAILABLE. *JB UPDATED 3/28/2006 - *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 9,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10147994 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-07-03 (July 3, 2014)

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.